Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, exe-cutive director of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), says she is disappoint-ment with Government's decision to grant a 14 per cent increase to the National Minimum Wage.

On Tuesday, Derrick Kellier, Minister of Labour and Social Security, announced that the National Minimum Wage would increase from $2,800 to $3,200 for a 40-hour work week and that industrial security guards would receive a 13.52 per cent increase in their pay, moving from $103.50 per hour to $117.50 per hour.

"We would need to have more meaningful discussions with the Ministry of Labour as to how they arrived at their decision because we are not seeing how the decision was arrived at and on what basis this (the increase) was awarded," Mrs. Coke-Lloyd said.

She said the role of the Minimum Wage Advisory Commission would also have to be examined as its recommendation was once again ignored. The JEF had recommended a six to eight per cent increase.

Satisfied

Meanwhile, Shirley Price, president of the Jamaica Household Workers Asso-ciation, is happy with the increase.

"I know the increase is not as significant as one would want it to be. But, taking into consideration that the minimum wage goes up every year, I am satisfied," she said.

Ms. Pryce said she had asked that the National Minimum Wage be increased by $400. She said she was also aware that it is difficult on employers, but pointed out that many householder workers were earning above the minimum wage.

"I am happy that the Minister of Labour gave us what we asked for," she said.

Meanwhile, Ruddy Spencer, Oppo-sition spokesman on labour, is calling for a review of the new minimum wage in another four months.

"There is no real improvement in the purchasing power of the worker," Mr. Spencer said in an interview with The Gleaner/Power 106 News.

"When taken against the background that those minimum wage earners have to purchase light from JPS like all of us. They have to purchase water, they have to find the money to send their children to work like all of us," he said.

The increases will take effect on Monday.